BY THE END OF TWO WEEKS, RHETT HAD AN IMPRESSIVE COLLECTION OF SKETCHES IN HIS POSSESSION. Every chance he had, he would make his way to the coffee shop, despite it being well out of his way. More often than not, the same man would be seated as well. There would be times where they would have to sit at another table or Rhett would be waiting for a long time, engrossed in grading until the other man showed up, but they had seen each other for so long, not a word being said between them except for the occasional "sorry" or "that was gonna fall."

"Talk to him," Nicky groaned as he watched the blond begin to head towards the coffee shop, two weeks from the initial meet.

"I think it's a little too late for that," Rhett replied easily, stepping into his shoes, "It's like being friends with someone and not knowing their name, it's too late to ask now."

"But you're not friends and you've barely spoken, so it's not inconsiderate. In fact, it's common courtesy." Nicky was looking up from his phone where he was frantically scolding someone for doing a flip on a rooftop.

"Maybe," Rhett sighed, "Anyways, I'm gonna head out."

"Wait," Nicky called out, standing up, "Have you seen..." he trailed off, both knowing what he was talking about.

Rhett pursed his lips and glanced towards Nicky's room. Despite having lived for so long with barely any hiccups, there was still the looming fear that plagued the two. Truth be told, he hadn't been paying much attention, having grown complacent, but every reminder was a new sense of fear.

"No," he confessed, "But I'll keep an eye out."

"Stay safe," Nicky commanded, more firm than how he said it to anyone else.

Rhett took a deep breath and nodded. "You too."

º º º

The two had been sitting in silence for the better part of two hours. Rhett was continuously looking over his shoulder, worrying on his bottom lip, the other man sketching as per usual.

He finished staring at a man behind a large newspaper and turned back around, only to find blue eyes—nearly as piercing as his own—staring directly at him.

He hated to admit it, but he was afraid.

He watched as the man glanced down and smiled, huffing a laugh as he shook his head. It was almost scary, if he was being honest. He raised his head slightly, giving him a lopsided grin.

"I, uh, forgot your name."

"W-what?" Rhett mumbled, reeling from his nerves and the smile.

"Your name," the other man repeated, "I, uh, forgot it."

"Oh!" Rhett exclaimed, relaxing, "Oh, yeah, uh, it's Rhett. Rhett Reiser."

"That's it," the man said, snapping his fingers and shaking his head at himself, "Thought it might be Brett, but I remembered you had an alliteration name."

"Don't we all, though?" Rhett joked, a complete mess by that point.

"Well," the man laughed, "I don't need about that. I'm..." he paused, as if weighing his options. Finally, he finished, "Steve. Steve Rogers."

Rhett had planned for this moment. So, instead of the excited schoolboy reaction he wanted to have, he toned it down to a simple look of realization and surprise, but with a calm, "Nice to meet you, Captain," added at the end.

Steve cleared his throat. "You gonna turn me in?"

Rhett shook his head. "No. I mean, I got free art, it'd be a crime to turn against you after the wonderful sketch you did of my shoe."

"Thank you," he breathed, dropping his head before glancing up, smiling, "I'd be extremely disappointed if I had to hurt you."

Rhett blinked. "What?"

Steve shook his head. "Nothing, just...you remind me of someone. I don't like to tell people my real name, it's not safe. Not anymore."

"So you trusted me with your real identity because I reminded you of someone?" Rhett asked, now beginning to question the hero and just how well he thought through his plans.

Steve ducked his head and shrugged, cheeks tinged pink. "I believe in people. I'm optimistic like that, I trust that people want to do the right thing."

Rhett traced the lip of his cup. "Coming from you, that's incredible. You still believe that?"

Steve sighed and looked around. "You know? I don't know. I mean, after everything that happened, I want to say no, but...things are starting to get better, so we'll just have to see." After a moment, he blinked, as if just realizing what he was saying and who he was talking to. "I'm sorry, that just sort of came out."

"No, it's fine," Rhett said, still leaned back and fiddling with his cup, "Believe me, this is not the most outlandish thing that's happened to me in the past two months." Or at all, he added to himself.

Steve perked up. "I feel like there's a story behind that."

Rhett scoffed. "You have no idea..."

"We've got time," Steve offered, motioning to the table in front of them.

Rhett finally looked at him again and lightly shook his head. "No, not yet. While I do feel as though we've bonded during our silent encounters where you draw me things and I pretend not to know who you are, I don't think we're close enough for you to hear that story just yet."

Steve laughed at that and Rhett decided that if he were able to stop time, he would just stay there. Stay there and listen to that man laugh because he laughed as if he hadn't laughed in so long and that was both heartbreaking and elating.

"So what do you get up to these days?" Rhett asked when Steve stopped laughing and settled back in his chair.

He shrugged. "I work at a bar," he laughed at the irony, "I got some help in getting the job, but it pays well and I only have to pay half my rent. I don't make the drinks, I'm security. They offer me free drinks sometimes, but I don't get drunk." He was rambling, fiddling with a sugar packet, mind elsewhere.

"Well, it's good to know you've got something," Rhett said softly. He often thought about what would have happened to him if he hadn't found Nicky all those years ago; he never liked dwelling on it for too long.

Steve glanced up at him. "Tell me about yourself."

Rhett's heart jolted and he forced himself to stay calm. "What do you want to know?"

Steve shrugged. "Why do you play baseball with kids in Central Park?" He said it so quickly that Rhett had to pause, wondering if he was being interrogated or was a possible suspect for something sketchy.

"When I was young I played baseball a lot," he explained, trying to stay one step ahead of himself to keep from telling the complete truth, "I really liked playing baseball and there was this kid who always used to watch us play and I never understood why he couldn't. He told me he was sick and that no one would want him to play anyways. I didn't do anything to help him play with us, so I'm trying to make up for it now."

He hadn't thought about that kid in a while. He'd sometimes dream about his life before, back when he had a family, but he tried not to think about them if he could help it. He always had a feeling he knew what happened to that kid, but he could never be sure.

Steve just looked at him.

"Do you want to walk with me?" Rhett found himself asking. Steve looked surprised and he continued, "I mean, we usually just sit, do you want to walk?"

The man glanced around before shrugging, an almost challenging smile on his face. "Would you like to go for a run?"

Rhett blinked. "Would you like to be responsible for my death?"

Steve burst out laughing and Rhett felt like he could take on anything. In all honesty, he was a physically fit man—he had to be considering what his first job was—but he wasn't about to try to exercise with a man like Steve Rogers; he had read the fanfiction, he knew what the man was capable of.

"Well, then," Steve said, ripping out another page of his sketchbook, reaching over across the table, "Let's go on that walk."

º º º

Steve didn't know what he was expecting.

Though he had been sitting with the man for two weeks, working up the courage to speak as he left little sketches for him, they didn't know anything about each other. Rhett knew of Captain America, of course, but even that came with its inconsistencies and no one ever knew the whole truth.

As for Rhett, Steve knew nothing about him. He had seen him grade papers of what could only be young elementary school students, but that was all he could gather from the man. That and his uncanny resemblance to someone he had met so long ago.

Which meant that the walk consisted of an awkward silence and loud coughing.

Rhett fiddled with the strap of his bag which housed the sketch which he had yet to see, tucked safely away in the pages of the book he was reading.

"Is it safe for you to be outside?" he blurted out after noticing Steve glancing over his shoulder again; the fifth time in a minute.

"That's what I've been told," he whispered softly, "I go by another name nowadays, only work at night. But I was also told to try and live my life."

"What life do you have, though?" Rhett asked, "After waking up, your life isn't really there anymore."

Steve almost seemed defensive. "What would you know about it?"

Rhett just stared at him, his jaw set to keep from giving himself away. He sighed and looked away. "I'm sorry, I wouldn't know."

That was a lie.

The two just continued to walk, Steve now defensive and Rhett now uncomfortable. Steve's actions were now rubbing off on him and he, too, was glancing over his shoulder, wishing he had something to grip, much like Steve and his cap. All he had were his glasses and all that did was subdue the blueness of his eyes.

"Is your image of me ruined yet?" Steve mumbled softly at one point, laughing mirthlessly.

Rhett looked at him, eyes wide. "What do you think my image of you is? So far, considering everything, my image is accurate." Rhett knew more about Steve than the history books. He had seen what the books only described, the books that didn't include him.

It was a few minutes later when Steve asked, "What are you hiding from?"

The other man sighed; he wouldn't even bother pretending that he was only worrying because Steve was. "It's a very long story."

"We have time," Steve replied.

Rhett laughed at that. Laughed a harsh, bitter laugh; not bitter at Steve, but bitter at the world. "I could tell you a lot about time. Believe me, this story...time and this story don't get along."

Steve didn't ask what he meant, he knew he wouldn't get an answer.

"Who do I remind you of?" Rhett asked, after nearly throwing his glasses into the sewer in utter frustration.

The man shrugged and shook his head. "That is a very long story."

There was mirth behind his words and Rhett grinned, glad that he was able to make some sort of breakthrough. He took off his glasses and rubbed his face, sighing as he looked around, the world blurry.

He glanced over at Steve before continuing to walk, stopping when he heard the man trip.

"Are you alright?" Rhett asked, unsure whether to help the man up or let him help himself; as a teacher, he had an obligation to help, but not baby, same went with the way he treated everyone else in his life.

Steve sounded choked up as he spoke, having to clear his throat multiple times. "Yeah, I'm fine. This wasn't the most productive of choices, huh?" He raised his eyes up to look at him, laughing slightly.

"No, I have to say, I don't think it was," the other admitted, grabbing his arm and helping the man to his feet, moving him out of oncoming traffic.

"Would you like to try again some other time?" Steve asked, "Maybe talk to each other before starting to walk?"

"Yeah," Rhett breathed. He was getting a second chance? The universe was finally repaying him for everything it had thrown at him. "Yeah, I'd like that a lot."

Because he needed to talk to Steve. After eight years of mindlessly wandering, of making a life, of getting a teaching degree, of becoming someone completely new, he's finally met the one person he needed to talk to. He couldn't pass up the opportunity now.

Even if the outcome would mean his death.

"Okay," the man said, nodding. "I'll see you tomorrow, then. I need to get some rest before my shift starts later tonight."

"Stay safe," Rhett said, the usual farewell he now gave considering the people he spent time with.

"Thanks. You too." With that, he turned around and left.

Rhett stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do. So he did the one thing that always worked out; he went home.

º º º

"So you talked, but it went awful, so you're getting a second chance tomorrow."

Rhett sighed and nodded, shoveling another handful of popcorn into his mouth. "This was not what I was expecting."

Nicky snorted. "Well, I mean, you have been reading a lot of fanfiction, so..." he trailed off, catching Rhett's positively livid look, "Sorry."

"I don't care about that shit," he spat, nearly tossing the bowl aside, "Nick, I've waited years. Years, I was sent here before he woke up, I had no idea what was happening. Then he woke up, then the Incident, everything. This was my chance to finally talk to him, and it's completely screwed over."

"Hey," Nicky said, reaching over to place a comforting hand on his shoulder, "It's okay. Look, I get that you think you need him for guidance, but you've been getting along fine on your own."

"I just need the closure," Rhett sighed, "I mean, this is my home now, whatever I left behind is gone, but...I need to talk to him, I need this. He's all that's left."

"Okay," Nicky whispered, patting his shoulder, "If it's what you think is best, I'm with you."

Rhett sighed. "Thanks. How're the kids?"

Nicky snorted. "As awful as they were before. Only this time they're dating, so they're being awful together."

The blond man laughed tiredly, picking up the bowl and standing up. "Have fun playing dad, I'm gonna head in early. I'm exhausted."

"Poor Rhett," Nicky mocked, faux pouting, "He talked to Captain America, then sat at home all day. So tired."

Rhett just held up his middle finger before closing the door on Nicky's laughter.

He sighed, slumping against the door and sliding to the ground. He was a twenty-eight year old man.

He was barely an adult when his life changed. Now it changed again and he felt as helpless as ever.

Hopefully, Steve could fix that.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

( 10.27.17 )

I really need to update this story, what am I doing? I honestly love these characters, I need to step it up.

I didn't want this to be an instant friendship, so I made them sorta clash at first, because they're similar but they don't know that? You know? If you read Lonely Hearts you get what I'm saying, but I'm purposefully not saying much in the event people are reading this without reading that because I want some semblance of mystery (though I probably already spoiled it let's be real, I'm awful at foreshadowing, I just point blank reveal stuff)

Anyways, it'll start picking up soon, I wanna get to the scenes of Rhett teaching, I'm excited for that.

So thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!